1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to a mechanism for a reclining article of furniture. More specifically, the present invention relates to an all linkage wall proximity reclining mechanism.
2. Description of Related Art
Wall proximity reclining chairs are known within the art, and are becoming increasingly popular as it becomes more desirable to integrate comfort and reclining functions into various articles and styles of furniture including chairs, love seats and sofas. Many of the first developed designs were based upon all linkage mechanisms. However, these all linkage mechanisms typically did not provide a smooth reclining motion. To overcome this problem, wall proximity reclining mechanisms utilizing track and roller assemblies were developed to provide a smoother reclining motion. Presently, the reclining mechanisms utilizing track and rollers are fairly complex, require an excessive number of links, and are thus expensive to manufacture.
An exemplary reclining chair mechanism which was developed to provide a smoother reclining motion is that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,011,220, entitled "Chair Mechanism," which is expressly incorporated herein by reference, and which is commonly owned by the assignee of the present invention. This mechanism utilizes a short inclined track and roller to provide the recline-away motion of the wall proximity reclining chair. While this chair mechanism achieved the goal of providing smoother reclining operation, the design of this mechanism presents several disadvantages. First, this mechanism is limited to only two operative positions, namely the upright position, and the fully-reclined position. Additionally, this chair design does not allow the chair arms to move along with the seat assembly. Thus, this chair design requires a chair frame having more forwardly extending arm rests for providing adequate support when the chair mechanism is in the fully reclined position.
Another exemplary wall proximity reclining chair is that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,217,276, entitled "Chair Mechanism," which is also expressly incorporated herein by reference, and which is commonly owned by the assignee of the present invention. This chair mechanism design provides several improvements over those mechanisms known within the art. However, this mechanism also relies upon a track and roller system for providing smooth reclining motion. Additionally, this chair is limited to only two reclining positions, and requires manual actuation via a hand operated lever. Accordingly, this design limits the types of furniture within which this mechanism can be integrated.
Yet another type of wall proximity reclining chair is that illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,323,526, entitled "Method for Assembling A Modular Wall Proximity Reclining Chair," which is expressly incorporated herein by reference, and which is commonly owned by the assignee of the present invention. This chair was developed for reducing the complexity of the reclining mechanism, and the method for assembling the reclining mechanism. This chair mechanism surmounted the disadvantages of the prior art designs by providing a side frame and arm rest assembly that moves in conjunction with the seat assembly for providing adequate arm rest support. However, this mechanism design also relies upon a full length track and roller assembly for providing the desired smoothness in the reclining operation. The requirement for a bearing based roller assembly also increases the cost of the mechanism. Additionally, the design of this mechanism limits this chair to a single reclining chair and further prevents this mechanism from being used in larger articles of furniture, such as loveseats, sofas and modular sofa assemblies.
The all linkage reclining chair mechanisms known within the art also do not provide adequate adjustment features for accommodating seat occupants of varying stature. In view of the growing popularity of wall proximity chairs, there is an increasing need to develop a wall proximity reclining chair mechanism which can be utilized with various types of furniture at a considerably lower cost and that provides the comfort features demanded by consumers. As such, it is desirable to provide an all linkage wall proximity reclining chair which delivers smooth reclining motion and includes an adjustment feature for accommodating various sized seat occupants. It is also desirable to provide an all linkage reclining chair mechanism which is designed to be primarily gravity driven with the assistance of a spring biasing mechanism, rather than manually driven by the occupant using an externally mounted operating handle. Such a design would simplify the operation of the chair. It is also desirable to provide a wall proximity reclining chair mechanism in which the leg rest assembly can be fully extended by actuating a compact trigger release assembly, and can be retracted by the occupant merely moving the leg rest assembly back into the chair mechanism by leaning forward and placing a small amount of force onto the leg rest assembly. Finally, it is desirable to provide a reclining mechanism in which the leg rest assembly can be replaced in the field, if damaged during use, without disassembling the entire chair mechanism.